1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a rack for storing shoes, and in particular, to a rack which is convertible between horizonal and vertical alignments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of racks have been proposed for storing shoes and footwear. One such rack is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,816. The '816 patent discloses a modular shoe rack consisting of a pair of rods extending between and supported by a pair of side frames. The side frames are generally rectangular in configuration and are arranged to be stackable upon one another in order to arrange a plurality of shoe racks in a vertical alignment. The '816 patent is incorporated herein by reference.
The shoe rack of the '816 patent is further configured to allow a plurality of rod pairs to be mounted upon opposite sides of each rectangular side frame in order that a plurality of the rod pairs extend side-by-side. While the modular arrangement of the '816 patent afforded a multi-tiered structure, it required the use of multiple modular shoe racks which are less stable than an integral design. The modules disengage one another when excessive forces are exerted upon the rack, such as when a user accidently bumps or kicks the rack. The modular design is also less cost effective in production, materials, and packaging than an integral design. Thus, an integral structure is preferable for large quantities of shoes.
In certain instances, it is desirable to use a horizontally aligned shoe rack having a plurality of shoe receiving tiers aligned front-to-back across the floor. Such a horizontally alignment is preferable when the shoes are to be placed in an area having low clearance, such as under a bed or under long-hanging clothes within a closet. In alternative situations, it may be preferable to have a vertical shoe alignment with a plurality of shoe receiving tiers aligned on top of one another.
However, the conventional shoe racks which hold multiple tiers of shoes and have an integral rigid structure have only proven useful in one orientation. This limited usefulness is due to the fact that the support bars, upon which a shoe rests, must form a minimum angle with respect to horizontal in order to allow multiple rows of shoes to be stored adjacent to one another in an overlapping space-economizing manner. Further, the angle at which the shoes rest upon the support bars must be below a maximum pitch, otherwise the shoes fall off of the rack. In view of the foregoing considerations, an optimal pitch exists for aligning the rods that support the shoes.
Heretofore, a shoe rack has been proposed having a vertical alignment with a plurality of shoe supporting tiers stacked on top of one another. However, when this shoe rack is rotated to a horizontal alignment, the pitch between the supporting rods is unduly steep. Thus, the shoes tend to fall off of the rack. Similarly, when a shoe rack is configured horizontally to include a plurality of shoe supporting rod pairs aligned front-to-back, this shoe rack is inoperative when aligned in a vertical arrangement. Since the optimal pitch between rod pairs when aligned horizontally reverts to an overly steep pitch when the rack is rotated to a vertical alignment. Hence, shoe racks configured for a horizontal alignment are not useful when rotated to a vertical alignment and vice versa.
Thus, a need remains within the industry for a convertible shoe rack which may be rotated between horizontal and vertical alignment. It is an object of the present invention to meet this need.